By InsanelyHappy
A/N: Thank you very much to those of you who reviewed, it was much appreciated (and encouraging). Now, on to the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans in any way or form.
Twisted Shadows
Chapter Two: Nightmare
It had taken her hours to finally settle down, but Raven finally drifted into the realm of dreams. However, it was but a mockery of sleep, for it was a restless slumber, wrought with doubt and fear.
An inferno. Fire burned below her, curling hungrily upward. It would devour her, if given the chance. But, no, she was safe inside of an orb of her own magic, protected from the greedy flames.
Heat. Too hot! Raven blinked, and when her eyes opened once more she found that she was surrounded by fire. She shrieked in pain as the flames bit into her flesh. Writhing, Raven struggled to muster her power in order to repel the blaze, but found that she was unable to do so. Through the haze of her suffering, Raven briefly realized that the fire had been inside of her barrier all along. By shielding herself, she had ensured her own downfall.
"Help!" she cried in desperation. "Somebody, help me!"
"You must come to me," a gentle, feminine voice murmured. Blinded by the intensity of the fire, Raven could not see the speaker. "Come. I'll be waiting," the woman promised.
Finally, Raven's mind broke beneath the burden of her agony, and her body was left with only primal instincts to guide it; Raven screamed.
Raven's eyes flew open as she woke from her nightmare, and a terrified cry tore from her body. Struggling, Raven found that her sheets had twisted themselves about her, just as the flames which she could still feel upon her skin had done.
After some time, Raven calmed enough to slow the frantic beating of her heart. It was only then that she noticed that several objects- a mirror, a brush, and a book- were levitating in the air, and that each item was surrounded by the dark aura of her power. Focusing her mind, Raven used her ability to return each object to its original position, and then to untangle the sheets that bound her so tightly.
"It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real," Raven rasped, as she slipped her feet onto the cool, comforting floor. Pressing her palm against her forehead, Raven hissed in surprise when she felt a painful twinge in her hand. Staring in the darkness, Raven made out the unmistakable signs of a burn upon her palm. It was small, only about the size of a nickel, but it was there nonetheless. Raven began to tremble. What was going on? If the fire had only been a dream, how could she possibly be burned? She sat, and Raven concentrated on the scorch mark, watching intently as she used her magic to heal the injury. Afterwards, she stayed that way for a long time, puzzling over what meaning this event could hold.
Finally, Raven tore her gaze from her hand and rubbed her sore throat. "I'd best get a drink," she croaked hoarsely. "Tea would be nice."
Exiting her room, Raven padded softly down the hall. She shivered slightly as she thought that she saw the outlines of flames dancing wickedly upon the walls. Shaking her head to clear her mind of such nonsense, Raven was relieved to reach the kitchen.
The room was dark, but Raven didn't mind. With practiced ease, she busied her hands with preparing tea. Taking her cup, she sat on the couch and watched through the window as the rain dripped down outside. Raven sipped slowly on her drink and allowed the silence of the night to sooth her.
The hush was disturbed by a rush of air as the door slid open once more. Raven glanced up from her tea, and saw Beast Boy enter the room. His hair was mussed up, and he walked with the slow shuffle of someone who was still half asleep. Yawning, he stretched his arms above his head.
"What are you doing up?" Raven asked softly. Pleased, she realized that her voice sounded much better than the rasp it had been when she first woke.
Beast Boy started, for he had obviously not noticed Raven sitting in the shadows. Flicking on the light switch, he squinted against the sudden brightness. "I couldn't sleep," he said, and then gave a short shrug. Opening the fridge, he peered inside. "Nasty," he muttered, pulling out some of the purple substance that filled it. Holding stuff up to the light, he asked, "What is this stuff?"
Raven recognized it immediately. "I'd put that back, if I were you," she cautioned. "That's one of Starfire's creations. She called it glabnak."
Beast Boy placed it back quickly. "Ew," he said, horrified, "it just moved!" He closed the refrigerator door and backed away from it, saying, "I think I'm scarred for life."
Raven couldn't help but smirk at that. "I know exactly what you mean," she replied. Her tea gone, she rose and put her cup in the sink. Feeling her lack of sleep beginning to catch up with her, she said, "I'll see you in the morning. Right now, I'm going back to bed."
Beast Boy nodded vigorously, saying, "Good idea. Besides, I don't want to stay in the same room with that… Thing." Shuddering, he cast one final aghast look at the fridge, and then accompanied Raven as she left the room. They walked in silence down the hall, until at last they reached Raven's door.
"Well," she said, "this is my stop. Goodnight, Beast Boy." The door slid open, and she was about to step inside when Beast Boy's voice called her back.
"Raven? Are you sure that you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, skillfully masking her unease.
"Really?" he pressed. "Because you look terrible."
"Oh, wow, thanks," Raven drawled. Turning, she returned to her room, repeating, "Goodnight, Beast Boy."
The door shut abruptly, leaving a very confused changeling to stand alone in the dark, feeling rather foolish. It was only then that he realized that he hadn't asked Raven why she had been up.
A/N: Chapter two completed on March 27, 2005. I did that quicker than I had expected, so I hope that it didn't lack in quality. This chapter was pretty slow, not to mention that it was shorter than the first, but the dream was important. I find it very aggravating that this doesn't post exactly how I write it; I like the indents, thank you very much, so why does it take them out? Anyways, please leave a review, I always love to hear what people have to say about my story. Oh, and by the way, Happy Easter!